Credits: Social Media
Funny ‘When Was Running Invented’ meme is still cracking people up years on
A funny meme that asks when running was invented has resurfaced online and it’s making people laugh all over again.
The silly question has been circling social media for seven years now and prompted thousands of hilarious skits on TikTok.
‘When Was Running Invented’ meme
The question first arose back in 2017, when a Twitter/X user called Andrew Nadeau tweeted this statement as a joke: “Running was invented in 1612 by Thomas Running when he tried to walk twice at the same time.”
The post went viral and a number of similar images have circled over the years with different dates, like 1837 and 1784. However, none of these facts are true and running wasn’t actually invented during any of these periods.
It’s part of a meme trend called Twice at the Same Time, which involves making up fake historical facts and sharing them on social media alongside a relevant image, making it seem real and fooling other internet users, Know Your Meme explains.
Hilarious reactions flood social media
Since the original post went viral, hilarious reactions have been flooding social media mocking the fact that people couldn’t run before the date shown in the meme.
In one funny skit, a man has his phone stolen but can’t run after the guy to get it back:
Another person is scared by a clown and isn’t able to run away:
This one depicts a running race between two guys in 1747:
Here’s a football game in 1899, before running was invented:
Running was never ‘invented’
If you think about it, running was never actually invented. It’s something humans have done since the dawn of time.
Originally, people would have ran for survival, using it to escape predators, hunt animals and move between places quickly.
In 490 BC, the first ‘marathon’ took place when Greek soldier Pheidippides ran around 25 miles from Marathon to Athens, History Extra explains.
He did so to announce the Greek victory over Persia in the Battle of Marathon. Upon delivering the news, he collapsed and died.
Running then became a competitive sport at the first Olympic Games which took place in Ancient Greece in 776 BC.
